Privacy Policy

Watterson & Associates, Inc. (WAI) is committed to respecting and protecting the privacy of our constituents. WAI abides by the code of ethics of the American Psychological Association’s with regard to the use of an individual’s personal data for research and with protecting the rights of the people involved. In addition, WAI is committed to acting in compliance with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/ 679 (GDPR).

WAI is based in the United States and maintains its servers in the United States. If you are visiting from the regions outside the United States with laws governing data collection and use, please note that by using our site and services your personal information will be transferred to the United States for processing.

This Privacy Policy sets out how we handle data, including how we collect, store and use personal data, our legal basis for processing your personal data, information on transfers to third parties and international transfers, as well as your rights as a data subject.

This Privacy Policy comprises the following:

Who we are and other important information

What personal data do we collect and how do we use it?

How and why we use your personal data

Who we transfer your personal data to

International transfers of personal data

How we keep your data secure

Data retention

Your legal rights

Exercising your rights

How you can contact us

California’s Shine the Light Law

Governing law

Status of this Privacy Policy and changes

Who we are and other important information

To provide its leadership and research products and services, WAI collects and processes personal data. This Privacy Policy sets out how we collect and process personal data through use of our products and services, use of our website, completion of our psychometric assessments, and other collection of personal data related to our business as provider of leadership and research services.

We have appointed a Data Protection Officer (DPO) who is responsible for overseeing data protection matters. Please visit section 10 for complete details on how you can contact AI and the DPO. Our DPO is supported by a multi-functional data protection team and can be contacted via email at info@wattersonassociates.com.

What personal data do we collect and how do we use it?

2.1 When visiting our internet sites

If you visit our internet sites, we automatically collect the related session data. Session data is provided to us by your browser and through our log files, which record your activities while browsing our sites, such as when you click on a link. We may record some of this data in one or more cookies that we send to your browser.

Simply visiting WAI’s websites does not require you to submit personal data (although our cookies may collect certain personal data for statistical and analytical purposes). If, however, you ask us for information, register with us, sign up to attend any of our events or receive our marketing material, or otherwise express an interest in our products or services or report a problem, we collect any personal data submitted to us at that time.

WAI uses Google Analytics to track how often people gain access to or read our content. We use this information in the aggregate to understand what content our members find useful or interesting, so we can produce the most valuable content to meet your needs. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. Google will use this information for the purposes of evaluating your use of the website, compiling reports on website activity for website operators, and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage. Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google’s behalf. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser; however, please note that if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website. By using the WAI website, you consent to the processing of data about you by Google in the manner and for the purposes set out above.

2.2 When you choose to participate in research

As part of its activities, WAI also conducts original scientific research in the field of leadership development and assessment. Since the organizations and people who participate in our training programs and other activities represent valuable sources for research data, the information collected from them is securely stored in WAI databases and may become a part of a research project. WAI has a strong commitment to protect the rights, privacy, and dignity of every person who participates in these activities. For this reason, there are a number of safeguards in place:

WAI is guided by the American Psychological Association’s code of ethics regarding the use of an individual’s personal data for research; this code is particularly concerned with protecting the rights of the person.

All data utilized for research is obtained following the informed and/or explicit consent of the individual participant.

Questions related to race/ethnicity or family history are for U.S. research and reporting purposes. U.S. law encourages us to collect information on the racial demographics of our clients. Other legal jurisdictions outside of the United States may not permit the collection of such information. Therefore, answer race/ethnicity or family history questions only if you reside in the United States.

Assessment data collected about or from an individual as part of a leadership development activity are shared with and explained to that individual.

Information collected about or from an individual is considered confidential. Individuals receive feedback on assessments only from qualified consultants. Any further disclosure or sharing shall be possible only pending the individual’s consent.

Although WAI has never been required to release information without an individual’s permission (or the permission of an authorized legal representative such as an executor, executrix, or the holder of a valid power of attorney), it is acknowledged that in the extremely rare case of a court order, WAI might be compelled to do so.

Data collected from surveys published by WAI are stored in its secure database. They become a part of the norm group, containing thousands of scores, against which individual scores are calibrated. Periodically, WAI publishes data on groups of people. Individuals are never identified in these reports. Specific organizations are identified only if prior written approval is received from the organization. WAI may also provide organization summary profiles on groups of individuals in that organization if the number of individuals is large enough to be potentially meaningful.

If it is desired, response data can be removed from WAI’s research database. Send an email to info@wattersonassociates.com requesting that your data be removed. Once the data is removed, WAI will not be able to provide a duplicate feedback report at a later date or use that data in any group profiles.

2.3 When you choose to participate in a survey

From time to time, WAI may post online surveys to ask visitors for opinions on leadership, WAI services, or visitors’ needs. This information will be used internally to provide better service to WAI clients. Any customer contact information collected would only be used to contact the visitor if necessary. Demographic and profile data may also be collected as the need arises and would be used for internal reporting only.

If you choose to participate in one of our surveys, we may collect personal information such as your name, email address, and any other personal information that you may provide in your survey responses. Participation in surveys is optional, and we give you the ability to opt out of being contacted for surveys at any time.

2.4 When you are a customer or other business contact

If you are a customer or other business contact, or if you are an employee or agent of a customer or business contact, we may collect your name, email address, telephone number, and other contact information in the regular course of our interaction with you.

Data will be collected:

Prior to, at commencement, and during the term of a contractual relationship when you request our products and services

When you complete forms on our site or for our products and services, including registering to use our site, subscribing to our services, posting material, or using further services

When you enter a contest or promotion sponsored by us

When you contact us or report a problem to us, or provide feedback to us, or complete a survey

When you transact with us through our website or when you place orders with us over the phone or by email

2.5 When you fail to provide personal data

Where we need to collect personal data by law or under the terms of a contractual arrangement, and you fail to provide that data when requested as being mandatory, we may not be able to fulfil the terms of the contract or relationship that we have with you.

How and why we use your personal data

This section explains how we use your personal data and how you may opt out of marketing communications and how you can manage cookies. It includes the legal basis on which we rely to process your data.

3.1 Customers and suppliers (including individual contractors) and other business contacts

For customer administration including carrying out our obligations arising from any contracts entered into between you and us and including retention of correspondence if you contact us

For us to form a view on what we think you may want or need, or what products, services, or offers may be of interest to you (referred to as marketing) in order to provide you with information about our other products and services in which you may be interested.

To personalize our service to you, including ensuring that content from our site is presented in the most effective manner for you and your computer

To seek your views on products and services

To enable you to participate in interactive features of our service, when you choose to do so

For technical administration of our sites, including notifying you about changes to our service

With further information on our products and services

3.1.2 Personal data of suppliers and other business contacts (including identity, contact, technical, usage, and profile data) will be used:

To receive products and services.

To manage our contractual relationship on an ongoing basis.

For supplier administration, including carrying out our obligations arising from any contracts entered into between you and us and including retention of correspondence if you contact us.

To provide updates and news about our products and services, as such may be relevant to the services you provide.

To provide, on request from coaches, personalized computer-generated reports from completion by participants of our assessment questionnaires, including via our web-based scoring and delivery platform or otherwise. Sometimes we may combine participant data with that of other participants (for example, to create aggregated team reports).

Where feedback is given, for the purposes of the feedback session between the participant and coach.

Where you participate in an assessment or leadership program or other consultancy engagement run by our leadership team, additional data provided by you may be used for the purposes of provision of our services.

For research and product development purposes. Such data is collected through completion of our assessment questionnaires, including via online platforms or otherwise, for research and product development purposes in order to produce statistics of the type described in our product manuals, e.g. psychometric norms and validated data. You may be asked, as part of the testing process, to give your consent to the use of your personal data for research and product development purposes, and to answer additional optional research questions. If you decline from doing so, no data is collected or used for research and product development purposes.

If you agree to it, you will be asked to give your consent for the processing for research purposes as well as for the processing of all or any special categories of personal data where applicable.

3.3 Visitors to the WAI website

Personal data (including identity, contact, technical and usage data) will be used to form a view on what we think you may want or need, or what products, services, or offers may be of interest to you (referred to as marketing) in order to provide you with further information on our products and services. You will receive marketing communications from us if you have requested information from us or if you provided us or one of our service providers with your details and, in each case, you have not opted out of receiving marketing. Where you opt-out of receiving marketing messages, this will not apply to personal data provided subsequently if you then choose to purchase products or services, and in relation to other subsequent associated activities or transactions.

3.4 Aggregated data

We also use aggregated data, including cookies data (see our Cookie Policy) and respondent data taken from the respondent responses to our assessments, and from the optional question responses completed prior to taking the questionnaires, for the purposes of research and product development. Aggregated data used within our research and product development functions is derived from your personal data, but no personal data will be published or disclosed, since it is aggregated and anonymized for the purposes of research and product development and therefore no person is identified or identifiable from such data.

3.5 Legal basis for processing data

The purposes for which we use your data and their legal basis we rely to process your data are set below. We may process your personal data based on more than one legal basis depending on the specific purpose for which we are using each element of data. Further information can be provided on request. Where legitimate interest is the legal basis, we identify what our legitimate interests are below. Generally, we do not rely on consent as a legal basis for processing your personal data other than in relation to sending marketing communications to certain potential customers, where special category data is collected from respondents or when we invite participants to share results for research purposes. Where consent is used as the legal basis for processing, you may withdraw consent at any time (see how in Section 8).

3.6 Cookies

We use first-party cookies set by ourselves only. Please note, however, that our website may include links to third-party websites, plug-ins, and applications. These websites, plug-ins, and applications may use cookies over which we have no control. You may, however, restrict or block third-party cookies through your browser settings, and such blocking of cookies of third parties should not affect the functionality and use by you of our website.

Who we transfer your personal data to

We may have to share your personal data with third parties for processing or sub-processing purposes. We undertake a selection process and periodic review in relation to processors and sub-processors. We enter into data processing agreements with both processors and controllers, as applicable.

WAI does not rent or sell information to any outside organizations. WAI will share your personal information with third parties only in the ways that are described in this privacy policy. WAI also limits the information it collects to the minimum necessary to provide outstanding service, such as providing customer support or offering key products and services. All financial information given to WAI is kept secure. WAI has partnerships with third parties where basic contact information and data are shared to deliver contracted services and research with WAI clients. These companies are authorized to use your personal information only as necessary to provide these services to us.

WAI may also disclose personal information:

As required by law, such as to comply with a subpoena or similar legal process

When it is believed in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, protect others’ safety, investigate fraud, or respond to a government request

If WAI is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of its assets, users will be notified via email and/or a prominent notice on our website of any change in ownership or uses of personal information, as well as any choices users may have regarding their personal information

To any other third party for whom users or clients have given prior consent

International transfers of personal data

WAI is an organization based in the United States and your personal data may be transferred to and stored outside the country where you are located. This includes countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and countries that do not have laws that provide specific protection for personal data. When we collect your personal data within the EEA, transfer outside the EEA will be only:

to a recipient located in a country which provides an adequate level of protection for your personal data; and/or

under a contract with the recipient of the data, which means the recipient must protect the data to the same standards as required within the EEA, such as standard contractual clauses approved by the European Commission.

How we keep your data secure

We are committed to ensuring the security of processing and the ongoing confidentiality, integrity, availability, and resilience of systems and services, as such relate to personal data that we hold, in order to prevent accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, or unauthorized disclosure or access.
In our roles as both controller and processor, we implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure a level of information security appropriate to the risk. Our IT infrastructure and software applications are built to provide secure deployment of services, encrypted storage of back-up data with end-user privacy safeguards, encrypted communications between services, and safe operation by customers.
Our staff, associates, and consultants are bound to comply with confidentiality provisions and our privacy policy, in addition to completing mandatory data protection training. We have various policies that specifically address responsibilities and expected behavior with respect to the protection of confidential information.
We have procedures for incident and breach investigation and notification. Where our assessment of the likely risk to the individuals involved concludes that a breach of personal data may result in a high risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals, we shall promptly inform individuals (and associated controllers and the relevant supervisory authority where applicable) of any such breach, as required by law and in accordance with any contractual terms.
Where we have given you (or where you have chosen) a username and/or password which enables you to access certain parts of our websites, or use our products and services, you are responsible for keeping the username and password confidential. You should not share these details with anyone.

Data retention

We will retain your personal information on our systems only for as long as we need it, given the purposes for which it was collected, or as required to do so by law. WAI will retain and use this personal information as necessary to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.

Your legal rights

8.1 Request access to your personal data

(Commonly known as a “subject access request” or “SAR”). This enables you to receive a copy of the personal data we hold about you and to check that we are lawfully processing it.

8.2 Request rectification of the personal data that we hold about you

This enables you to have any incomplete or inaccurate data we hold about you rectified, though we may need to verify the accuracy of the new data you provide to us.

8.3 Request erasure of your personal data

This enables you to ask us to delete or remove personal data where there is no good reason for us continuing to process it. You also have the right to ask us to delete or remove your personal data where you have successfully exercised your right to object to processing (see below), where we may have processed your information unlawfully, or where we are required to erase your personal data to comply with local law. Note, however, that we may not always be able to comply with your request of erasure for specific legal reasons which will be notified to you, if applicable, at the time of your request.

8.4 Object to processing of your personal data

This enables you to object to processing where we are relying on a legitimate interest (or those of a third party) and there is something about your particular situation which makes you want to object to processing on this ground as you feel it impacts on your fundamental rights and freedoms. You also have the right to object where we are processing your personal data for direct marketing purposes. In some cases, we may demonstrate that we have compelling legitimate grounds to process your information which override your rights and freedoms.

8.5 Request restriction of processing of your personal data

This enables you to ask us to suspend the processing of your personal data in the following scenarios: (a) if you want us to establish the data’s accuracy; (b) where our use of the data is unlawful but you do not want us to erase it; (c) where you need us to hold the data even if we no longer require it as you need it to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims; or (d) you have objected to our use of your data but we need to verify whether we have overriding legitimate grounds to use it.

8.6 Withdraw consent

You may withdraw consent at any time where we are relying on consent as the legal basis on which we process your personal data. However, this will not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out before you withdrew your consent. If you withdraw your consent, we may not be able to provide certain products or services to you. We will advise you if this is the case at the time you withdraw your consent.

Where we are a processor in respect of your personal data, we will inform the relevant controller of your request and assist and co-operate with the controller for them to fulfil the request.

8.7 Further information

We may need to request specific information from you to help us confirm your identity or verify your right to access your personal data (or to exercise any of your other rights). This is a security measure to ensure that personal data is not disclosed to any person who has no right to receive it.

Exercising your rights

An individual who seeks access, or who seeks to correct, amend, or delete inaccurate data, should direct his query to us and/or the Data Controller. If the Client requests WAI to remove the data, a response will be provided within one month of their request.

How you can contact us

If you have a question about our processing or would like to exercise one of your rights set out above do not hesitate to contact our Data Protection Officer by email (info@wattersonassociates.com) or by mail (Watterson & Associates, Inc., 35 River St, Ste 14, Chagrin Falls OH 44022 USA).

California Civil Code Section 1798.83, known as the “Shine the Light” law, permits users who are California residents to request and obtain from us a list of what personal information (if any) we disclosed to third parties for their direct marketing purposes in the preceding calendar year and the names and addresses of those third parties. Requests may be made only once a year and are free of charge. Under Section 1798.83, WAI currently does not share any personal information with third parties for their own direct marketing purposes.

Governing law

Without prejudice to the application of European or national data protection laws and regulations, the laws of the State of Ohio and as applicable, those of the United States of America, govern the use of the WAI Services. All claims brought in the United States will be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of the State of Ohio, without prejudice to your right to lodge a complaint with a competent data protection authority or with a competent court in the European Union for data protection–related matters.

Status of this Privacy Policy and changes

WAI may update this privacy policy to reflect changes to our information practices. If any material changes are made, users will be notified by email (sent to the e-mail address specified in their account) or by means of a notice on this Site prior to the change becoming effective. Users are encouraged to periodically review this page for the latest information on WAI’s privacy practices.